Taylor COUNTY GA Wills Beeland, Benjamin File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by John Adams traceradams@mindspring.com http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/taylor/wills/beeland.txt State of Georgia Taylor County In the name of God Amen. I Benjamin Beeland of the State and County a fore said being of advanced age and knowing that I must shortly depart this life, deem it right and proper both as respects myself and family that I should make a disposition of the property with which a kind providence has blessed me, do therefore make this my last will and testament hereby revoking all others heretofore made by me. Item 1: I desire and direct that my body be buried in a decent and Christian like manner suitable to my condition in life. My Soul will I trust return to God who gave it. I hope for eternal Salvation through the Merits of the Blessed Lord Jesus Christ. Item 2: I desire and direct that all my just debts be paid by my executors hereafter named with as little delay as possible as I am unwilling my creditors should be delayed in their rights. Item 3: I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Sarah Beeland my Piney Woods place upon which I now live containing two hundred and twenty two acres more or less during her natural life and at the death of my beloved wife, I desire that said land be sold and equally divided among my children living at the time representatives of such as are or may be dead said lands I give in lieu of dower. Item 4: I desire and direst that if my beloved wife shall prefer another place to the one above given that the same shall be sold as a portion of my estate and that she shall be allowed to select such a place as she may desire and that my executors shall purchase the same for her at a cost not over two thousand dollars to be paid for out of the fund arising from the sale of the place above given and at her death the place she may thus select shall be sold and the proceeds arising from the sale thereof to be equally divided among my children living and the representative of such as are or may be dead. Item 5: I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Sarah one choice horse and choice mule such as she may choose out of the mules and horses I may own at my death, also one buggy as many hogs and cattle as she may need (of which she is to be the judge) a sufficient amount of provisions of every description to last her and family and stock for one year after my death and all the household and kitchen furniture. Item 6: I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Sarah my negro man my negro woman Mary and her children and her children's increase during her natural life and at the death of my beloved wife I desire and direct that said Negroes shall be equally divided among my children living and representatives of such as are or may be dead Item 7: I desire and direct that all the Negroes belonging to my estate at the time of my death shall within a convenient time be equally divided among my children and representatives of children. Item 8: I desire and direct that all perishable property belonging to my estate at the time of my death with the exception of that given to my wife be sold at public sale and the proceeds after paying my debts be equally divided among my children and the representatives of children. Item 9: I desire and direct that all my land not given to my beloved wife be sold either for cash or on time as my executors may think best and the proceeds arising from the sale thereof be equally divided among my children and representatives of children. Item 10: I desire and direct that all the property given by me in this will to my daughters will vest absolutely in said daughters and the children of their bodies born. Said property not to be in any manner subject to the debts of the husbands of such of my daughters as are already married or such as may hereafter marry but the use and income alone of the same is to subject to the control of the husband for the benefit of the family and in case any of my daughters already married or such as may hereafter marry shall die without leaving children then I desire and direst that the husband of the daughter or daughters that thus die shall have one half the property his wife is or would be entitled to and the remaining half I direct - shall revert back and be divided among my children and representatives of children. Item 11: I hereby appoint my beloved wife Sarah Beeland, James Whitehead and Zachariah Beeland my executors to carry out and perform my will. Benjamin Beeland (SIG) Signed, sealed delivered and published by Benjamin Beeland as his last will and testament in the presence of us the subscribers who subscribe our names thereto in the presence of said testator and at his special instance and request and in the presence of each other this July 2nd 1857, Gideon Newsome, James Griffith, Charlton G. Ogborn, William S. Wallace Georgia, Taylor County Taylor Court of the Ordinary, September Term 1863. The will of Benjamin Beeland being produced in open court by the executors who have filed their petitions to prove the same and the witnesses to said will. William S. Wallace, James Griffith having subscribed their affidavit endorsed on said will September term 1863. Taylor Court of Ordinary carried to open court. W.S. Wallace, James Griffith And being duly sworn deposes and says they saw Benjamin Beeland sign publish the within as his last will and testament while of sound disposing mind that they witnessed the same for him at his request and in presence of each other and that the same was executed voluntarily by him on the day it purports to have been executed. Sworn to and subscribed before me this September 7, 1863. W.S. Wallace, James Griffith State of Georgia Taylor County By virtue of an order from the Honorable Court of Ordinary of said county to us directed authorizing and requiring us to make distribution of the Negroes of the estate of Benjamin Beeland deceased late of said county among the distributees entitled to said estate. We proceeded this day to the performance of that duty. There were twelve distributees to wit: Edward M. Beeland, Benjamin Beeland, James Beeland Dec. whose interest was represented by Stephen S. Wright guardian of said minor children, Sarah Parham, Elizabeth Whitehead, David Beeland, Susan Yarbrough, Zachariah Beeland, Catharine Wiggins, Eliza J. Beeland, Martha J. Harris, Emily E. Beeland, Benjamin F. Beeland, Rebecca Beeland. The Negroes were divided into twelve shares and numbered 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12 which was assigned to the distributees in the following manner to wit the names of the distributees was then written on separate pieces of paper and placed in a hat the numbers were marked on separate pieces of paper and placed in another hat. The hats were both well shaken after the names and numbers were placed in them. A name was then drawn from the hat containing the names and a number was drawn from the hat containing the number and in this manner continued till all were drawn. The following was the result: No. 1 Zachariah Beeland, No. 2 Sarah Parham, No. 3 David Beeland, No. 4 Benjamin Beeland, No. 5 Rebecca J. Beeland, No. 6 Catharine Wiggins, No. 7 Martha Harris, No. 8 Eliza J. Beeland, No. 9 Stephen Wright guardian for the minors of James Beeland, No. 10 Susan Yarbrough, No. 11 Elizabeth Whitehead, No. 12 Emily E. Beeland. No. 1 a negro man named Elbert, valued at $3500.00; No. 2 Consisted of a negro man named Leonard, valued at $300.00; No. 3 Consisted of a negro man named Monroe, valued at $300.00; No. 4 Consisted of a negro woman named Mahaly and Jefferson her child, valued at $500.00; No. 5 Consisted of a negro man named Chesterfield and a negro woman named Frances valued at $3500.00; No. 6 Consisted of a negro woman named Mily and a girl named Clara, valued at $3300.00; No 7 Consisted of a negro named Sue and a girl named Betty, valued at $3100.00; No. 8 consisted of a negro woman named Martha and her child Lee, valued at $300.00; No. 9 Consisted of a negro woman named Lucinda and her two children Luis and Colman, valued at $2550.00; No. 10 Consisting of a negro boy named Morris and a girl named Silly, valued at $3300.00; No. 11 Consisting of a negro girl named Amanda and a boy named Robert, valued at $3650.00; No. 12 Consisting of a negro boy named Samuel and one named Moses, valued at $2800.00. Which is respectfully distributed December 22, 1863. C. M. Lucas, J. P. Glover, B. Ingram, J. D. Beal; Freeholders ======================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other presentation. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for FREE access. ==============